In 1983, St. John's inaugurated its first Festival of Faith Worship Service, designed to provide a single worship experience for the entire congregation. The purpose of Festival of Faith is to focus on the unity shared within the congregation, given the various worshipping communities that make up the church. For most of the past 25 years, such a service has been held in several locations: the Patio (outside the Nave with chairs on the lawn), Fairview Park in Normal, Ewing Manor at the Shakespeare Theater, and most recently (for the past 7 years) on the south lawn of the church property, (under the Big Top).

This Sunday we worship and celebrate together at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. This location makes it possible to include a wide variety of St. John’s music ministries in worship, as well as host a meal and provide games and fun for our children. We give thanks for all of the commitment and creativity of our Festival of Faith planning team and various ministry teams; music staff and volunteers; St. John’s staff; and many members who will be serving in a multitude of ways.

One of the hymns we will sing is God Is Here, and the first verse, written by Fred Pratt Green, is a wonderful prayer. May it be our prayer today as we prepare to join together for Festival of Faith 2008:

God is here!

As we your people meet to offer praise and prayer,

may we find in fuller measure what it is in Christ we share.

Here, as in the world around us, all our varied skills and arts

wait the coming of your Spirit into open minds and hearts.

Following worship, all are invited for lunch, fellowship, and games in the Ballroom. There will be plenty of food, and plenty of joy, as we celebrate being A Church Alive!

Prayer: O God, with all your faithful followers of every age, we praise you, the rock of our life. Be our strong foundation and form us into the body of your Son that we may gladly minister to the entire world, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!

Alive in Christ,